She Can't Save Him
by softy 45
Summary: She can live in that house until the day she sees that it's only herself she can save. Because she can't save him. And that day she'll know, she hasn't failed, 'cause nothing can change until he saves himself. Eclare one-shot plus an A/N about my other stories.


**Super short one-shot based off of the song She Can't Save Him by Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood. Please try and read my A/N at the end of the story for updates on what's going on with my other stories. R, R, and enjoy:)**

**P.S., no beta, so please ignore mistakes.**

Everyday left her another reason to be scared. He was her world, and come each new night she feared her world wouldn't walk back through the door. When the sound of his car pulling into the driveway filled her ears, she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Thank you God," she whispered in a shaky voice. Praying was her default coping mechanism; the only thing she thought would keep him safe.

"Clare, I'm home," he said, clearly fatigued. Clare worried about him. Ever since high school his mental stability had continued to decline. Yet, she managed to let her feet carry her towards the door; towards him.

"How was your day?" It was a failed attempt at conversation. His answer was always the same.

"Fine."

He lied. With every "fine" she knew it was only getting worse. His demons attacked him from the inside. His forest green eyes still held mysteries, his raven hair still fell just above his eyes, and to the average observer he was indeed, fine.

"Eli..." But he didn't listen. Instead he climbed the stairs leaving Clare behind.

That's when the tears started to fall.

The pain was tearing them both apart. It got to a point where he refused to spend much time with her. He left early, came home late, ate alone, then fell asleep in their guest room.

Her thoughts were overcome by blaming him, but her heart won out. She couldn't bring herself to hate him or leave him.

_It was the disease, not him_, that brought the couple down.

And in that moment she knew, she could do everything, but she couldn't save him.

When he wasn't ignoring her existence he was screaming at her wrong doings. It seemed as if just breathing set him off anymore.

It was just past midnight when he returned to the bottom level of their house. Clare was wide awake on the couch, book in hand.

His illness took over.

He loved her with all that he had, and he would do anything to see her happy, but lately the other part of him would take over. The part of him that hated her happiness. If he wasn't happy, why should she be?

His rage built.

_But this wasn't him. He wasn't him, and never would be._

Even as his fist came towards her face in the dark of night, she didn't place a single ounce of blame on the man he was.

She woke the next morning on the cold, wood floor. Her face ached, but she made her way into the kitchen.

The screams from the next floor up was not a good sign. It was one of _those _days. Her hands hastily worked the coffee maker so that only pure black coffee poured out. When his cup was full she silently placed it on the living room table, and picked up the phone.

She could call his boss, give some excuse as to why he would be late in for work.

She could follow him out to his car, kiss him goodbye when he was ready.

She could put a smile on her face while the neighbors waved at her unknowingly.

She could make small talk without saying a word about what happened the night before.

But she could no longer save him.

Her body curled into a ball on her queen sized bed. She felt trapped and lonely, sleep was her only escape. Though, that rarely was one.

Sometimes she dreams that he's caught in a stream and the water keeps pulling him down. He tried not to drown as he called for her.

She reaches for his hand, but instead of coming out, he pulls her in. Each time she would wake right before her death.

Covered in a cold sweat she let the tears fall freely this time.

She can remember the man he used to be. The fun-loving, artistic, caring teenage boy that she fell instantly in love with. He was her knight in shining armor. The one that was supposed to whisk her away on a white horse and give her the fairytale ending she so often dreamt for.

When they married, he was still that man. He had glimpses of who he turned into, but for the most part he was still _her_ Eli.

Now, all she can do is shed a tear for who he's become.

She can live in that house until the day that she sees, it's only herself she can save.

_Because she can't save him._

When that day arrives, she'll know that she has not failed him.

_Because nothing can change until he saves himself._

**Okie dokie.**

**So, I haven't written in a little bit, so here's the game plan. **

_**Being updated sometime in the next week**_

**A Brand New Heart-Clare's dad beat her too bad this time. Can a new life and a new love save her from herself? Eclare**

**Life After You-Eli is heart-broken when Julia cheats on him. Will Jake introducing famous author Clare Edwards to Eli and his band turn everything around?**

**Cinderella-Several one-shots revolving around Randall and Clare capturing the father-daughter relationship. Bits of Eclare.**

_**Stories I don't know if I should continue (I could really use your guys' opinions. Please let me know what you think.)**_

**Two of Hearts-Eclare**

**The Slaying Steps-Eclare**

**Love's Torment- Can a new look turn an enemy into a lover? Eclare**

**A sequel for Clare's New Start.**

**Completed Stories.**

**Leaving me in the Dark- Shared feelings from two friends. 3-shot Eclare**

**Falling In- Don't be scared, it's only love, baby that we're falling in. one-shot. Eclare**

**SelfConclusion- We all flirt with the tiniest notion of self-conclusion in one simplified motion. You see, the trick is that you're never supposed to act on it, no matter how unbearable this misery gets. Eclare one-shot**

**Memories in a Book- What happens when Clare and Eli find an old high school scrapbook? one-shot**

**If you actually went through and read all that and or went to check out my other stories, I give you a virtual cookie and my thanks:D**


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